Automatic switch.



No. 727,185. I PATENTED MAY 5, 1963.

0. MoNORTON, JR. AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1902. I

.NO MODEL.

@j flem e ys WAS UNITED STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT @EEICE.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,185, dated May 5, 1903. Application filed August 5,1902. $erial No. 118,533. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORVILLE MCNORTON,

"1112, a citizen of the United States, residing at Glen Jean, in the county of Fayette and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and The invention relates to improvements in automatic switches.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of automatic switches and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one of great strength and durability adapted to be readily applied to the rails of a main line and a connecting-line, siding, or the like and capable of being operated by a train while the same is in motion and of obviating the necessity of employing operators for controlling the switches and the passage of a train from a depot, station, or other point.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of an automatic switch constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an en-' larged detail View illustrating the arrangement of the levers for actuating the movable rails. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the train-actuated levers. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating a device for engaging the trainoperated levers.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 and 2 designate a pair of approximately triangular plates forming bell-crank levers and located at opposite sides of a track, as clearly illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings, and connected, by themeans hereinafter described, with movable rails 3 and 4 and adapted to be actuated to shift the saidrailsto open and close a switch, as hereinafter explained. The movable rail 3 forms a continuation of the adjacent mainrail 5 and is adapted to abut against the contiguous mainrail 6 to form a continuous main rail at that side of the track when the switch is open. The other movable rail 4 forms a continuation of the adjacent switch-rail 7 and is adapted to abut against the main rail 8, as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings, when the switch is closed. The movable rails 3 and 4 are connected by a transverse rod 9 or other suitable connection for causing them to move in unison, and the rail 3 is also connected by a short link 10 withthe lever l, which is fulcrumed at its outer. end at 11 on a suitable plate or support 12;

'latory plate or lever 2 at the opposite side of the track is fulcrumed at its outer end at 14 andis connected by a short link or lever 15 with the movable rail 4, and it is also connected by a transverse rod 16 with the oscillatory plate or lever 1, whereby when either of the plates or levers 1 and '2 is actuated the otherwill be simultaneously operated. The oscillatory plates or lovers 1 and 2, which are provided with concave outer edges and convex inner edges, are connected by short links 17and '18 with levers 19 and 20, fulcrumed between'their ends at 21 and 22 and curved longitudinally to arrange their arms at the proper angle and to enable them to fit closely to theoscillatory plates or lovers. The lever 19, which is connected at its inner arm to the oscillatory plate or lever, has its outer arm connected by a rod 23 with a train-operated lever 24, located at a suitable distance from the switch and disposed at right angles to the rails when it is .in position for operation bya train. The lever 24,1'which is fulcrumed between its ends ona suitable support, is socured at its outer. end'to the connecting-rod 23, which extends longitudinally of the rail 6 and which may be mounted in any suitable form of 'guide. Wheat-he inner arm of the lever 245is engagedby a train, its outer arm will be swung outward away from'the switch and the lever 19 will be swung to the position illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, thereby carrying the movable rail 3 awayefrom the rails 6 and 13 and simultaneously moving-the rail 4 against the main rail 8. This closes the switch .for switching a train from the main line to the connecting-line. The inner arm of the train-operated lever 24 is approxi- 1nately L-shaped and is also bent upward to arrange its engaged portion substantially in the same plane as the treads of the rails, but slightly above the same to admit of the lever being operated by a device carried by a train and at the same time to prevent such device from coming in contact with the rails. When the lever 24 is operated and swung around to the position shown in Fig. 1, its engaging portion presents angular'ly-disposed'or beveled faces to prevent it from being injured by contact with the operating device of a train. The oscillatory plate or lever 1 is also connected by a rod 25 with a train-operated lever 26, located adjacent to the switch-rail 13 and adapted to be oscillated to move the rails 3 and 4 in the same direction as the train-operated lever 24, so'that a train on the connecting-line approaching the switch will close the latter. The other oscillatory plate .or lever 2 is connected by a rod 28 with a train-operated lever 29, located at a point opposite the lever 24 and adapted to be operated bya train when it is desired to move the rails 3 and 4 from the position shown in Fig.

1 to give the train the main line instead of the connecting-line, and the similar trainoperated lever 30 is located at the opposite side of the switch and adjacent to the main rail 8, so that a train approaching the switch from the opposite direction will be enabled to move the rails 3 and 4 to form continuous main rails.

Any suitable device may be employed for enabling the engine and cars of a train to operate the switch, and in Fig. 4 of the drawings is illustrated one form of the device, consisting of a lever 32, disposed transversely, and connected with a pair of vertically-movable-rods 33 and 34. These rods may be arranged in any suitable guide, and either of the rods may be lowered and arranged in proper position for operating the levers lying at that side of the track. Any suitable means may be" employed for operating the transverse connecting-lever to raise and lower the rods 33 and 34.

It will be seen that the automatic switch is simple and comparativelyinexpensive in construction, that it will enable a switch to be thrown in either direction by the trainmen, Without stopping the train and without liability of making any mistake in the throw of the switch. It will also be apparent that the operating-rods 33 and 34 or other suitable devices may be arranged before a train leaves a station in order that the train-hands may see that the parts are arranged in proper position for throwing switches in the desired direction and that operators for setting the switches for the various trains approaching and leaving a station will be dispensed with. Furthermore, it will be clear that the switch operating mechanism is exposed and may be readily inspected with the same facility as the ordinary switehoperating mechanism and that suitable means may be provided for operating the switch by hand. Should a switch be properly set or arranged prior to a train approaching it, the operating devices of the train will notafli'ect the switch, and the parts will remain in such position. Operating devices may be provided on all of the cars of a train and at each end thereof, as well as at the ends of an engine, so that the switches may be properly operated whether a train be running forward or backward, and when the operating devices are arranged in this manner it will be impossible for the switch to be accidentally thrown by any jar or vibration, as the switch-operating device of each car will insure the proper position of the rails. I p

I desire it to be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minordetails of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What I claim is 1. In a switch of the class described, the combination with the movable rails, of oscillatory plates or levers located at opposite sides of the track and connected with the movable rails and with each other, short levers fulcru med between their ends at opposite sides of the track and connected with the oscillatory plates or levers, and operating devices connected with the short levers and with the oscillatory plates or levers and adapted to be engaged by the engine or cars of a train, substantially as described.

2. In a switch of theclass described, the combination with movable rails, of oscillatory plates or levers located at opposite sides of the track and connected with each other, short links connecting the plates or levers with the movable rails, short levers connected with the oscillatory plates or levers, approximately L-shaped train-operated levers disposed transversely of the track, and means for connecting the train-operated levers with the short levers and with the oscillatory plates or levers, substantially as described.

3. In a switch of the class described, the combination with movable rails, of approximately triangular plates or levers fulcrumed at opposite sides of the track and forming bell-crank levers, means for connecting the plates or levers with each other and with the movable rails, short angle-levers fulcrumed between their ends and connected with the plates or levers at the outer sides thereof, and train-operated devices connected with the an gle-levers and with the oscillatory plates or levers, substantially as described.

4. In a switch of the class described, the combination with movable switch-rails, of approximately triangular plates or levers fulcrumed at opposite sides of the track, short links connecting the plates or lovers with the movable rails, a transverse rod connecting ICC IIO

the oscillatory plates or levers, angle-levers connected with the outer sides of the plates or levers, and train-operated devices connected with the inner sides of the oscillatory plates 5 or levers and with the angle-levers, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ORVILLE MONORTON, JR.

Witnesses:

ROBERT ESSEX, J. J. OoNWoY. 

